Device for holding threads in embroidering-machines.



APPLICATION FILED MAY 21, 1910.

Patented Sept. 15, 1914.

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MORRIS SCI-IOENFELD, OF RORSCI-IACH, SWITZERLAND.

DEVICE FOR HOLDING THREADS IN EMBROIDERING-MACHINES.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Sept. 15, 1914:.

Application filed May 21, 1910. Serial No. 562,600.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, Monnrs SCHOENFELD, a citizen of the United States, and a'resident of Rorschach, in the Canton of St' Gall, Switzerland, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Devices for Holding Threads in Embroidering-Machines, of which the following is a specification.

In embroidering machines of the large type where a fabric is stretched upon a tambour frame and a large number of needles operate to produce embroidered designs in multiple on the fabric, the tambour frame is moved after each stitch to permit the needles to pass through the fabric at a different place and by the continual shifting of the tambour frame the needles are able to produce embroidered designs on the fabric. hen the needles complete a particular design and the fabric is moved on the tambour frame to bring a new part of the fabric surface into operative position whereby another design is to be produced; or where the same design is to be repeated; or where one figure of a particular design has been completed and it is necessary to move the fabric frame to start another part of the same design, there results a loose or jump thread. That is, the needle carries the thread over the surface of the fabric and there is thus left a long loose thread which must be removed. Usually these threads have been cut by hand by girls or women after the fabric has been removed from the tambour frame, and this was a troublesome, tedious and expensive method.

Under my present invention these loose or jump threads are removed while the fabric is still stretched on the tambour frame and just after the frame has been moved to pre sent a new part of the fabric surface before the needles, thus removing the split thread at the most advantageous time and in the simplest way. The work of cutting the threads can proceed rapidly when the cutting is done by hand, the operator passing along the machine with a knife or scissors and cutting each thread as it is held close to the fabric surface, by the improved mechanism therefor and the thread end when cut will be held by the engaging elements so that the end will not be left free, but will be held so that the needle will not become unthreaded during the taking of the first stitch after the change of the fabric position. However the cutting may be done the threads must be gripped and held while the tion, Fig. 2 is a sectional view, taken on the line 22 of Fig. 1, Fig. 3 is a sectional view, taken on the line 33 of Fig. 4, and Fig. 4-. is a detail view showing the parts in the act of engaging the thread.

There is arranged lengthwise of the embroidering machine and close to the fabric w on the needle side thereof, a bar 1 on which are mounted a number of fingers 2, the latter extending preferably upright and nearly parallel with the fabric. There is another bar 3 arranged near the bar 1; and these bars are mounted to be relatively movable in the direction of their length, by any suitable means. The bar 3 carries a number of thread engaging members 4: which extend upward similar to the fingers 2. There will be a plurality of figures on the bar 1, preferably one for each sewing needle of the machine; and there will be a corresponding number of members 4 on the bar 3. On each finger 2 there is arranged a resilient memher, here shown as a spring plate 5 bent back upon itself to form a spring gripping member 6 for pressing against the members 4 when the latter are moved into the spaces 7.

hen a strip of embroidery has been finished, or a portion of the entire design has been completed, and it is necessary to move the fabric to present a different portion of the surface to the needles, the condition as it first exists is shown in Fig. 1; wherein 8 indicates the last stitch in the design taken by each of the needles 9, in the usual way. The thread leads away from the stitch 8 on the fabric, to the eye of each needle 9, which latter were withdrawn upon the completion of the last stitch. The fingers 2 and engaging members 1 lie on different sides of the threads 10. A relative movement between the bars 1, 3, is now caused, preferably by moving the bar 3 to the left in Fig. 1. The engaging members 4: will each engage one of the threads and carry it into the spring clamp 5 as shown in Fig. 4; and the threads will each be held by the c0- sever the several threads.

operating action of the resilient members 6 and the members 4, between the fabric and the needles. The operator can now sever the several threads close to the fabric by passing the knife along close to the fabric and between it and the members 5, 2, to The ends of the threads from the needles are still held by the members 5, 2, and while held the ma chine is operated to cause the needles to make one or more stitches in the production of the new design or new portion of the design. The members 5, 2 hold the threads during this operation to prevent'the nee dles from becoming unthreaded. When these new stitches have been made to fix the threads, the operator again passes a knife along near the fabric to sever the threads between the members 5,- 2, and the fabric; and the bar 8 is moved back to the right. The needles may now proceed in the stitching of the design in the usual Way. Owing to the resiliency of the members 6-they cooperate with the members 2 to properly hold the threads.

Having described my invention, What I claim is In an embroidering machine, a plurality of means for stitching a fabric, a plurality of fingers mounted on a common support, said fingers being arranged near the several sewing threads and arranged to cooperate with the several threads between the stitching means and the fabric, resilient members on said fingers, and cooperating thread engaging members mounted on a common support and arranged to cooperate with said resilient members to' hold the several threads, said supports being relatively movable.

Signed at Rorschach, in the Canton of St. Gall, Switzerland, this 11th day of May, 1910.

MORRIS SCHOENFELD.

Witnesses EDGAR LoEB, FRIEDR. STEINER.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. G. 

